Great Raleigh Florist

Fresh Affairs
http://www.freshaffairs.com/

This amazing florist did my flowers and I loved them!!!! To see pictures of my flowers check this link out (my photographer's sneak peak of our wedding). Make sure and haggle for a good price!

http://cheyenneschultzphotography.blogspot.com/2009/01/sneak-peek-natalie-and-matt.html

Tips for the Bride

Hey Ladies!!

I have had 2 requests from brides asking about advice...so here goes! As you can see, I had a blog dedicated to my wedding inspirations! This was good for a couple reasons. My mom helped me out a ton and with school/working and living 30 min away, there just isn't time to constantly be on the phone ab this! So, I would look at wedding blogs and post all my ideas and my mom and 2 wedding planner/helpers could see what I wanted!

So where to start on wedding advice:

1) Have help. Plan Plan Plan ahead of time. If you are doing things by yourself, spend a lot of time beforehand getting the details down to the knitty gritty down.
2) Cut Corners (there are ways to do things cheaper!!)
3)Photography was really important to me, so book that first!
4) If you are ordering from a discount boutique for bridesmaid dresses, order early!! My girls got theirs the week of the wedding and ordered 3 months prior
5) Try looking for your dress at Bridal Mart in Burlington ! I got mine for $230 as a knock-off dress and I loved it!
6)instead of looking in magazines for ideas, look at wedding blogs!! They have tons of inspirations and for every theme/color/event etc.!!

Other random things:
-try getting a church caterer...they will be more discounted! Also try Susan Canon Catering
-Get married on a Friday or Sunday and save a lot of money!! Venues are cheaper
-Be careful about registering with places that don't give returns but with receipts (like Target)
-Know that you can register most of your stuff online...in fact, if you pre-register online you don't have to wait or go through the talk that the sales associate gives you (that can take forever!)
-Tell your close family and friends what you would like first as far as wedding gifts go....they will understand and it saves you from making a lot of returns (essentials first!)
-rsvp with email (set one up) or use mywedding.com (they have a spreadsheet)
-if you print your own invitations, be prepared to spend a lot of time on them...less ribbons is better! :)
-the Kinkos on Glenwood is good at printing wedding invitations and wedding programs.


Charlotte Links:
http://www.aperfectengagement.blogspot.com/ -Alyse Woodard's blog
www.crazyfancy.com- this website it currently not working tonight (?) but normally it has Charlotte stuff in it
www.Weddingwire.com

Flowers:
I would work with a grocery store florist (what I am doing to save some dough!) or someone from costco. Costco also has flowers online...but I would work with their florist

Invitations:
-buy to make at Michael's or AC Moore
-Costco has some inexpensive ones

Inspiration (blogs and such...they also have links on the side of other wedding blogs)
http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/
http://thebridescafe.typepad.com/my_weblog/
http://budgetsavvybride.wordpress.com/

Discount Dresses
http://houseofbrides.com/home.php
http://www.bridalmart.com/

Dress Boutiques:
Victorian Rose Bridals- http://www.victorianrosebridals.com/

Photography
(I would recommend doing this pretty early for a May wedding)
www.alivelyphotography.com -this woman (Nicole) is affordable for her quality and if she was not having a baby in feb she would have been my lady!! She is newer and I love her style

Smitten Photography-she's a christian, and the person that Katie Moore used

This is my lady: http://cheyenneschultzphotography.blogspot.com/
She got some quality photos. She is not extremely personable though. At one part of the wedding my mom wanted to have a certain family photo and she seemed to get stressed out and said that I did not tell her to take that photo. She was a little uptight basically. Her husband is more laid back.

Abigail Seymore
http://www.wpja.com/wedding-photographers/north-carolina-photojournalist.htm- link of NC photographers
http://www.vanderveenweddings.com/
-check nancy ray photography (just starting out photographer)
-check martha manning
-try tim dennis and
-vesic photography
I used Cheyenne Schultz and thought she got some really good images. She is not extremely personable
-http://www.ncphotographers.com/weddings.html

RDU CHURCHES/VENUES I've researched:
Millbrook Baptist (6/700 something)
Fairmont United Methodist (700 something) picky on music. the lady is a pessimist but don't be scared by her! you have to do counseling with them too...ive heard it's ridiculous (just 1 session) but it's a pretty little church right off of Clark by Global Village. Ive actually been to a wedding there
Christian Faith Baptist (downtown, so more expensive and they are not very friendly) I think they let you do it there...
Soapstone United Methodist (500 I think)
St. David's Chapel -audience faces the middle
Campbell Lodge (reception or rehearsal site)- rent hourly, kind of rustic looking
First Baptist Church (downtown...more pricey but really pretty)
Mt. Vernon Church- off of Falls of the Nuese
The church of Good Shepherd-reception, was looking heavily at this place. includes table and chairs.
Oh- I would totally check this place in Wake Forest...the Cotton Company! It's 1000 to rent in an L shape. You can look at places online
The Royal Conference Center...almost used this place as a reception spot. It's really nice 1000 or so to rent. Included tables and chairs, music system in house, really pretty red walls, right next to edible art/royal bean
St. Michaelangelos Parish Center for a reception spot- A catholic church with really pretty grounds. They have their own chef and he is not that bad in pricing. i think it includes tables and chairs and am not sure ab linens. you can't get married there, but you can def use their parish center
Oberlin Baptist Church- they never got back with me ab the price/money: i talked several times to Myron, sweet lady
Meredith Chapel-1200 natalie hermann contact
Shriners Club- there is one off of creedmore and leadmine-they have all inclusive packages, not bad on prices for everything included if you have a 10k budget
The Tobacco Warehouse- this place is really cool. They were booked on my wedding date.
White Plains Presp? or Methodist...- can only book 3 or 4 months ahead of wedding.has a family life center that could be used for reception.
Wake Forest Presp.- 500ish they have a reception hall you can use as well
Snipe Farm Retreat- somehow I found out ab this site. It doesn't have a website or anything, but it is a man and wife that have a farm....they wouldn't hold 300 ppl, so it was no for me and i didn't even hear their prices. Might be really cool. They have indoor and outdoor. I've never seen it though.

Some other places I heard ab but never checked out:
The Barn at Valhalla
Fayetville Bible Chapel

Nice but kinda expensive:
-Matthews House
-Hall and Garden Landmark
-NCSU park alumni center

Checks

Tuxes -check
Invitations printed-check
apartment searching-check
flowers in the bag (thanks to mom)-check
outfit-almost...missing shoes

Hair

If I could imitate my bouquet

I'd want this...(in addition to other)

Go rose

I have decided to go all roses. I can save money this way. Maybe I can throw in some other pretty flowers in my bouquet...but it will be subtle. Flowers is something I want to cut the budget on.

I can even do all types of pink roses if necessary.

Pretty Cake, Cake buffet

Pretty Bright Pink Roses

I don't like the bottom right bouquet, but I do like the really pink roses! These pictures were taken by Cheyenne Schultz

simple but elegant

like this

Ruffly pink azaleas and ivory sweet peas blend seamlessly in this bride's bouque. For the bridesmaids, miniature roses and budding double kalanchoe peek out from clusters of ranunculus; lollipop-shaped miniature mums look sweet with wax flowers, hyacinth florets, single kalanchoe, and a jacquard cuff with pink ribbon binding the stems.

b+wh

pom pom luminaries?

saw this POM POM on a wedding blog...cool idea.
GO martha

also..this bouquet!
Mixing olives on silver-green branches and black ivy berries with Ranunculus gives this domed nosegay a loose, romantic feeling. The striped ribbon is pinned to a wide band.

when you can't afford peonies...

Cake Stands

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30BB93-475A-BAC0-52555DC793C1FEC1&fid=3E33109F-475A-BAC0-514197B5E889D67F

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=40209802-423B-522D-F9543F9095A6ECED&fid=FF352DA4-423B-522D-F43BE252C94A5414

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=934957AC-423B-522D-FA22F95651EB5EE8&fid=A2BC375E-423B-522D-F883C4612C8E48BE

Check out these layered cakes

I love these layered cakes and the way they look! They would be great for a cake buffet.

Flower girl dress

I found my flower girl dress! Excited about it! It is 24.50 at Old Navy! Score! It matches my b+wh color scheme. see the link above in the price

I'm thinking of making my own pillow for the ring bearer...

I like this simple design table cloth (obviously b+wh and no leaves) and a simple vase and flowers/greenery.

I like the black chandeliers

I wonder what type of white flowers those are above. I would like my bouquet to be more full and rounded.

FLOWERS Again

Like these tighter petaled roses

like the runner adn same color candles and flowers as well as chinese lanterns

Like this color pink with the green flowers

I might do this: white flowers for bridesmaids, and pink for me

Flowers again

This is pretty with the table toppers of flowers and greens. The pink table cloths are pretty

Pretty flower and candle again

Like the cake and simple flowers

LIke the vase and flowers, but they need to be pink!!

Flowers and Table toppers

I LOVE this! The lamp and the flowers...REALLY REALLY LIKE THIS

another pretty bouquet

Don't know what these are...maybe programs, but they are cute

Like this table of candles and flowers

Flowers and candy favor

b

Matt loves candy, this makes me think of doing candy as favors

Like the white flower bouquets...

Like the contrast of colors with the black table cloths. Below is a pretty white bouquet

I will start from top right and go left: Like the candleabra and the lowers. Like the single column candle and the greens, like the different levels of candles on the table. Lower: the round bowls with the signs are nice with the candles. I like the next table bc it has different types of flowers and the candles. The next one I like the unique bottles (though I don't drink wine) and the vase.